Illinois Public Media

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Illinois Public Media

Reading Lincoln Speech Aloud Falls Short of Record

February 28, 2011

Abraham Lincoln fans have failed, again, to set a new world record.

State officials had hoped to break the record for the most people reading aloud at the same time. They organized a mass reading of Lincoln's Farewell Address two weeks ago, with people across the country taking part.

But as numbers come in, it's clear the event drew only a fraction of the people needed. Organizers tell The (Springfield) State Journal-Register that the total so far is about 13,000, while the world record is 223,363.

An attempt to break the record last year by reading the Gettysburg Address out loud also failed to set a record, but it came much closer. That event had about 180,000 people.